Trust by Design (Colorado Trust 2)

He bunched the towel in his hands, still amazed at the way that bastard had managed to turn his friend against him. But as he could well attest, the heart wants what the heart wants. Too bad for Liz it hadn’t been real. Almost a month later, she was recovering from her bullet wound in jail, and he actually felt a little sorry for her. Jack had screwed her along with everyone else.

Mike still apologized for his sister’s betrayal just about every day, despite Dean’s assurance he held absolutely no blame. After what they’d been through, he trusted his VP, and valued his friendship as high as family.

Dropping the damp towel on the sink, he moved into the bedroom in a pair of clean boxer briefs. When he saw Gina standing in front of the mirror, arms lifted to fasten the hook for her dress at the nape of her neck, he made a low sound of approval.

Her gaze rose to meet his in the mirror as he came up behind her. “Let me.”

She scooped her hair out of the way with both arms still raised. His attention dropped to the reflected stretch of fabric across her breasts, and instead of fastening the little hooks, he dipped his head to press a kiss on her warm, sweet-scented skin.

Sucking her scent into his lungs, he raised his gaze to hers in the mirror once more and murmured, “Have I told you I absolutely love this dress?”

It was the black creation from the night of the art show that had him thinking of sex again.

“No.”

“Well, I do.”

Releasing the sides, he lightly trailed his fingers down the length of her bare spine. Her reactive shiver and the flush of awareness brightening her face delighted him. Recalling vividly that the bare back and plunging neckline did not allow for a bra, he slid his hands inside the material, around to her stomach, and lifted them to cup her bare breasts.

“Dean…” Her breath caught as he aligned his body with hers from behind, letting her feel his aching arousal.

“Gina,” he countered before giving her a soft little nip on the side of her neck. A soft moan escaped her parted lips as her hands twined in his hair and held him right where he was. Her breathing had turned shallow, and her nipples were pebbled hard against his palms.

“We…we can’t right now.” She tilted her head to give him better access to the sensitive spot below her ear.

He pinched her nipples between his thumbs and forefingers, making her gasp, then moan as he rolled them back and forth. “Why not?”

“Because…because we’ll be late for your own party.”

He rotated his hips against her backside. “I’ve heard it’s fashionable.”

She laughed. He slid his hand down in search of her panties, then stilled with the discovery she wasn’t wearing any. When he caught sight of her wicked grin in the mirror, he gave her a mock glower.

“Sonofabitch, Gina, we’re definitely going to be late.”

* * *

He’d swept her up into his arms and carried her to their bed, then ravished her like a pirate. As usual, she’d loved every minute of it. Later, she promised him, she’d get her payback. His wolfish grin told her he couldn’t wait.

As she pulled her dress back on, the increased sounds of guests downstairs confirmed he would have to. She fastened the hooks herself, then fumbled with the clasp of her necklace while he stood beside her, adjusting his sport coat over the black, button-up shirt underneath. They shared a smile, then he moved in front of her and reached to take the delicate chain from her grasp.

“Have I told you lately how much I love you?”

She reached up to smooth the collar of his shirt. “No,” she replied, even though he’d whispered the words as they made love only minutes earlier.

The necklace slipped from his fingers and dropped between them onto the carpeting. “Whoops.”

He went down on one knee to retrieve it, and she automatically looked down, following his movements. Her eyes widened when he remained kneeling before her and raised his gaze to hers. A little black velvet box had magically appeared in his hands.

“I was going to wait to do this later, but now seems appropriate.”

Tears pricked her eyes and she furiously tried to blink them away as she smiled down at the man she loved.

“I love you, Gina, and I want to spend the rest of our lives together.” He flipped open the box to reveal an elegant ring with a row of diamonds on each side leading up to a large diamond that had to be at least two carats. “Will you marry me?”

“Yes. Of course, yes,” she whispered. She urged him back to his feet, and kissed him with all the love in her heart. Then he lifted the ring from its velvet bed and took her left hand in his. As he slid the ring on her finger, she breathed, “It’s so beautiful.”